Parnéliun-Sey
' Parnéliun-Sey' was the son of a wealthy Ahar priestess and a Khey warlord named Arpá-Relûkha. His father died while fighting as a mercenary in the service of Atakúl-Sey, the King of the Kul-Ahar, during the Second Ioriag Wars. Raised by his mother Vizona in Atakúl's court at Savage Breaks, Parnéliun displayed an early affection for lore and debate and, by the age of ten, he was adopted into the Sey clan as an apprentice storymaster. (Note that the Sey had Khey cousins, and that Parnéliun was distantly related to the Khailûza-king and Ringwraith Rên the Unclean.) Events to the west conspired to wreck Parnelion's ascension through the court ranks, however, as the Khey peoples fell under the sway of Darkness. United under the rule of a Khandian-appointed puppet prince called Úma-Kalkhúna, the Khey crossed the river Nûmahar and quickly defeated their Ahar neighbors. The other Ahar tribes submitted to the invaders, offering hostages and tribute. By this time, Parnéliun's rise had alarmed elements of the Sey court, who offered the young man as a hostage. The twelve year- old Parnéliun accompanied a host of fellow captives and traveled To the strange Khey hold at Ûlk Khey Sârt. There, he remained for five years, learning Khey ways and delving into alchemy. It was the first of two invaluable lessons abroad. When the Khey lords perished in a khandian-inspired coup, the new lords sent Parnélion to the khandian capital of Sturlûrza Khand. This sprawling cosmopolitan trade city surrounded a strategic oasis tucked in the southern foothills of the Ephel Dúath (S. "Fence of Shadow") southeast of Mordor and was renowned for its rich but exceedingly brutal lifestyle. While residing there for four years, Parnéliun witnessed a whole new world — a society grounded in the interrelations between jealous, ruthless rivals, peoples with norms rooted in swift retribution. The young man learned how to fight and weave shrouds of carefully worded promises and threats which confused the best of diplomats. Playing upon his keepers' needs and beliefs, Parnéliun convinced the Khandian Orod Goúr-Itô that he could aid the Khandian interests among the Ahar upon his release. Goúr agreed and sent Parnéliun home in hope that the twenty-one year-old Minstrel would sway his brethren to the Khandian cause. It was a mistake that costed the Khandians their holdings east of the Nûmahar and eventually resulted in Goúr-Itô's execution. Parnéliun returned home to a changed land. His family slain following the Khey purges, his allies were few. With the Sey-lords either death or in exile, the young man counted no mentors among his own people. So, he sought aid from the storytellers, the priestly loremasters of the Ahar, quickly distancing himself from the Khandian and Khey cause. Goúr and his Khey allies became incensed and ordered Parnéliun's capture. This warrant only served to instill the minstrel with an aura of legitimacy. Ahar allegiance and pride focused on his narrow shoulders, Parnélion set about uniting his fellow minstrels and he developed a powerful and knowledgeable network that transcended the traditional tribal boundaries. Eleven years after returning home, at the age of thirty-two, Parnéliun-Sey came out of his refuge at the Red Holes and led his people in an uprising that swept the Khey out of Ahar territory. The Ahar tribes united as the Kargagis Ahar for the first time in fifteen hundred years and invaded Khey Sârt with utter fury. Parnéliun's warlord lieutenant, Alafar-Mém, led his hard-riding army to victory, crushing a combined army of Khey cavalry and Khandian infantry at the Grass Tombs. Thus, the Khey threat ended for a time, and Parnéliun-Sey presided over the renewal of the Ahar nations. During the next fifty-four years, the minstrel enjoyed the unprecedented honor of being the master of all the Ahar Warrior-kings. In a land where bards never held office and were never permitted to rule directly (being strictly advisors), Parnéliun served as absolute overlord. Features Parnéliun-Sey stood 5'2" tall and, small by Ahar standards. The long, braided pony-tail that accentuated his receding black hair was permanently dyed with a purplish hue, which was common in ancient Ahar society. This feature set him apart from his contem- poraries who, like Parnéliun, were beardless, grey-skinned, and black-eyed and enjoyed only subtle distinction. Parnéliun wore a mail hood rather than a helm, and flowing purple wool robes adorned with bands of white stylized deer. Compact of build, Parnéliun weighed 120 pounds; yet he was sinewy and could be competitive in physical contests, even against much larger opponents. For the most part, though, Parnéliun relied on wit to win. He was a brilliant orator and possessed an exceptionally rich, lyrical voice. Parnéliun' s two wives, Raesha and Eona, bore him three daughters and a son. Pamelion's Principal Items: *Spear— ("Wind-sweeper") +spear made of purplish wood from the Dogfruit trees of Ibav. *Bow — ("Quieter") ivory-inlaid composite bow. *Horn — ("Whispering Crier") Horn capable of sending clear sounds up to great distances Notes: Original form in MERP: Parnelion Sey Category:Easterling Category:Third Age Category:King Category:1650 Category:Central middle-earth Category:Chey